Questions and Answers

There's a lot you should ask and a lot for us to tell you! Use the expanding menu's below to get an idea of what we are about. If you still have some questions then simply contact the Admissions Tutor.

Why UCL?

UCL is the largest and oldest college of the
University of London, it is committed to academic excellence and is
consistently ranked in the top group of three with Oxford and Cambridge
among multi-faculty universities for research. We also have an impressive international reputation.
UCL is situated in the centre of London
on a compact site among the leafy squares of Bloomsbury, close to the
major libraries, museums, and learned institutions of the capital.
The college offers an exciting social life on and off campus with an
enormous range of student societies, particularly strong in drama,
music, fine art, and sport.

Why UCL Chemistry?

We are consistently regarded as one of the best
departments in the UK. We believe we offer an excellent education with
high standards of teaching in an exciting but friendly environment. We have a relatively small intake of undergraduates compared to the size of the academic staff - a very low student:academic ratio. You will mix throughout your time here with staff,
postgraduate students and researchers.

We treat you as part of our community of chemists. After all, you are here to do exactly the same as all the PhD students, researchers and staff are here to do - to discover some new chemistry, every day!

Being on the main campus gives UCL chemistry its very central
location. There is easy access to all the College facilities - the
Bloomsbury Theatre and UCL Union are across the road. The Library is
just a couple of minutes walk away.
The Chemistry department has strong links with Physics, Biomedicine
and the Royal Institution, to name but a few. If you are not studying
pure chemistry, you will probably be taught in other departments early
in your course.
The College itself is multi-faculty, and there are many exciting possibilities for working with people from other departments towards the
conclusion of your degree.

The learning environment at university can be
significantly different to the one you experienced at school. You will
be taught by a wider variety of staff, each a specialist in the field
being taught. Lectures are supported by regular tutorials, workshops and
of course laboratory classes.

But, of course we also expect further
study from yourself, and to assist in the transition from school to
university we provide a series of workshops on effective study methods
in the first term.

Lectures

Most courses use lectures to deliver the majority of the
material. These are 50 minutes long and depending on the course the class
size can vary from your whole year group in core courses to as few as 10 in specialised courses in years 3 and 4. Most
lectures take place in the chemistry department.

Laboratory Classes

Each core course is accompanied by a laboratory course,
the aim of which is to develop your practical skills, to develop your
investigative and analysis skills, and to provide a context for the
lecture material.

Depending on the subject each lab class can be up to 3
afternoons (2-6pm) each week. But your time in the lab can vary.
Organic practicals clearly have to be done in the lab, but analysis of
physical labs can be undertaken outside the lab environment if you wish.

Practicals are an essential part of your degree and we
take effort in providing meaningful and timely feedback on your
performance, both in the lab - academic staff are always on hand along
with other demonstrators - and in the marked lab scripts. Indeed many of the laboratories require us to mark the scripts with you, providing you with instant feedback and help.

Tutorials

It is a feature of UCL's Department of Chemistry, but not
all chemistry departments, that our courses are strongly supported by a
full programme of small group tutorials given by the academic staff.
Each week you will see each of your Academic Tutors - covering organic,
inorganic and physical chemistry - to discuss material arising from the
course. In addition, all academic staff have office hours when they are
available for consultation. Students are encouraged to talk to both the
course lecturer and the Academic Tutor for their degree programme. We
also hold larger problem solving classes (15-20 students) called
workshops to allow you further time to develop your understanding of the
material.

Typical Week (if there is such a thing!)

The number of contact hours on a chemistry degree is high.

8-15 lectures (chemistry and options) usually morning

3 tutorials (workshops)

2+ afternoons in laboratory
Inorganic/Organic = two afternoons in lab
Physical = one measuring, one analysing

We want you to develop into deep learners - scientists who have a fundamental understanding of their subject, In order to do this we want you to have time to think about the subject. Therefore we not only examine at the end of each year - but give you the opportunity to develop your skills during the year through assessed coursework.

First and second year courses have
associated laboratory work and written assignments which contribute to
the final mark.

The third and fourth years have separate experimental
courses involving advanced methods and research projects which are
assessed by your performance in the laboratory, an oral presentation,
your project report, and an oral examination.

Each year, you take four
course units leading to a total of 12 for the BSc and 16 for the MSci,
except for MSci in Chemistry with a European Language which has a total
of 14 course units. The research project undertaken by MSci students is
assesed by a combination of a written report, an oral presentation, an
oral examination and a supervisor's report.

In addition to an academic tutor you will be assigned a
Personal Tutor, also a member of the academic staff, whom you will get
to know well over the three or four years as an undergraduate. Your
Personal Tutor will discuss your career development with you as well as
help with any personal or more general academic problems.

In the first year you will also be assigned a mentor - an undergraduate from the second or third year. They are there to assist you with the transition to university study - and a great source of academic and non-academic help and advice (and probably gossip!).

A chemistry degree at UCL not only gives you an in-depth
understanding of the chemical universe but also makes you a highly
numerate and analytical thinker.

About one-third of our graduates take higher degrees,
either at UCL or at other universities. They usually study advanced
areas of chemistry, but others have gone on to study for degrees in nanotechnology,
chemical engineering, biochemistry, pharmacology, zoology and many other
disciplines. Some of our students thereafter continue in chemistry, a
few in academia, and many more in industry.

Our graduates have been highly successful in gaining graduate entry to medicine.

However, just because you've studied chemistry doesn't mean that
you will be fiddling with test-tubes until the day you retire! Many
enter chemical or chemical related industries in a wide variety of
roles. Some have taken positions in the Pharmaceutical industry in both
organic syntheses and quality control. Others work in product
development in healthcare companies. The list is endless. But there are
also chemical related fields such as chemical sales, medical research
and radiology. Students graduating from UCL have moved on to a huge
range of different careers seemingly far removed from chemistry; but the
training you receive as chemists makes you ideal candidates for many
different careers. Many of our alumni now work in the financial world
(accountancy or in the City), in management positions (either with
specific companies or as management consultants), and in information
technology (programming or running corporate computer networks). Others
have gone on to become lawyers and teachers.

UCL has it's own central bursary scheme to support those in receipt of UK grants.

The department also has various bursaries and scholarships valued from £500 to
£2,000 for each year of study that are awarded annually to
students requiring additional support and/or who show high academic promise. All applicants through UCAS for
one of our BSc or MSci degrees will be considered for an appropriate
award. Decisions on bursaries are made after your first term at UCL.

What is the male:female ratio in the department?

How many tutorials a week will I have?

In your first year you will have three a week, one in each of the core subjects, each lasting approximately 1 hour.

In your second year, again you will have
weekly tutorials in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry.

What happens in a tutorial?

At the beginning of your 1st and 2nd
years you will be assigned an academic tutor for each of your core
courses in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Each week, as part
of a small group, you will see these tutors to discuss material arising
from these courses. You may be set a series of problems to attempt prior
to the tutorial. This is your opportunity to get to grips with any
material that you may be having difficulties with or simply discuss
things in more depth than the timescale of the lectures has allowed.

How many hours a week will I be in college?

This will vary depending on which
options you choose but generally in the 1st and 2nd year a student can
expect about 26 contact hours a week. Further private study will also be
expected.

3rd and 4th year hours will depend greatly on course options.

Does each year of study count towards the class of degree I graduate with?

Chemistry is a "vertical" subject - you need to know first year material to attempt second year material. Therefore each year is crucial - we therefore reward your efforts in each year, but bias the marks towards the later years where you are able to excel in your own chosen areas.

At the end of each year there are a minimum number of course units which must be passed to allow progression
into the subsequent year.

For BSc students your numerical score over
all the courses in each year count towards your degree classification
with the three years being weighted 1:3:5. Similarly, for students
graduating with the MSci degree your performance in each year will be
weighted 1:3:5:5.

If I'm stuck on a piece of work who do I see?

If you are completely baffled by a piece
of coursework or any material that has been covered in the lectures it
is best to discuss the problem with your academic tutor during your
tutorial. If the course you are taking does not have tutorials then you
should approach the person who set the piece of work. All academic staff
have office hours during which they are available for consultation. Of
course it goes without saying that you should always seek help well in
advance of the deadline, lecturers do not take kindly to students asking
for help the day the work has to be handed in!

Can I take course options that aren't in chemistry?

Yes, in fact we encourage it! As long as you can fit them into your timetable.